My first weeks in Ghana...

So after a few weeks of finicky internet (and with the help of some blog-savy friends) i’m finally starting my blog! It's impossible to try to capture that last three weeks in this space but i’ll try to explain my thoughts and experiences as best I can. 

The months leading up to my departure were full of family and friends asking why I chose Ghana over Europe. I told them that I wanted to be challenged by something, to feel completely uncomfortable in an unfamiliar place, acclimate to it, and hopefully learn to love it for everything that makes it different from what i’m used to. So far Ghana has done that for me, but in ways I never expected.

Tro-Tro to BoJo beach!

I was told to come in without any expectations and while I think I followed that suggestion pretty well, life in Ghana is constantly surprising. To the great disappointment of my Dad, mail is not delivered by cheetah and elephants are not my main mode of transportation. Instead I walk almost everywhere or take a Tro-Tro, a gutted out van that fits about 27 people instead of the usual 7. Only about 65 pesewas (about 35 cents) for a ride into town! 

Currently I am studying in Legon (a town just outside the capital city of Accra) at the University of Ghana, the school where myself and 38,000 other students will be living this semester. It is so beautiful here but different from the landscape I imagined.  Certainly there is the Africa that I’ve seen in pictures, sweeping palm leaves and red dirt roads to create paths from one market to another. But then, a sign giving directions to the Accra Mall hovers over a home with a tattered roof and stray dogs wandering aimlessly outside of it. These mixed visuals are the true surprise of being here. 

A friend of mine and I were were talking about what it means to live in a developing country. Here it seems that it’s not a transition stage but rather a way of life. Homes are stripped apart to make way for a highway but Ghanaians live around the construction and still manage to do what they need to to support themselves. All day I see men and women parade the streets selling plantain chips, cell phone minutes, and sachets of water on their head without complaint and generally in good spirits. It is amazing to witness that kind of work-ethic. 

Plantain chips by the tro-tro!

I mentioned to my family that convenience doesn’t seem to be a priority here. The Ghanaians that i’ve met and observed work around the conditions they’re given and do what they have to to succeed. Seeing this has made me realize how little I need to really be happy. I’m so grateful for that. 

I think the most startling part of being here is watching a country slowly westernize itself. Ghana is so proud of its culture and to think of it transforming into a version of the U.S is unsettling. I want Ghana to develop to its full potential but I hope that it always maintains the customs and culture that make it so refreshing. 

A huge part of Ghanaian culture is hospitality. I’ve never seen a country so concerned with other people’s well being. The other night I was ordering dinner at a Canteen on campus and a woman i’d never met before, Auntie Yaa, made sure that I got a fair price for my food and even taught me some twi (the local language) while I waited for my rice. This seems to be the way of Ghana, to pick out someone as an “Obruni” (foreigner) but to then help them in their travels instead of making them feel like an outsider. Last week in my african dance class, we learned the dance of travelers. This dance is performed to remind people that all those who come into their lives should be welcomed and provided for. It’s amazing to see how relevant the lesson of this ancient dance is to Ghana today. 

Some awesome CIEE friends teaching me some cooking skills!

Ready for dinner! 

Each of the 58 people in my program came to Ghana for different reasons, but there is something similar about each of us that landed us in the same place. Each of them, as well as the Ghanaians i have met so far, are so intelligent - so excited and willing to share their opinions with the world. I am confident that I will learn much from them. 

I know this post is all over the place and mostly filled with observations instead of stories...i’ll try to find more of a balance as I go on. My day-to-day adventures can only be described as unbelievable, I have seen drum circles, traditional dances, market places, beaches, poverty, and untouchable pride but still, I have so much that I want to do while i’m here. Hopefully by the end of this experience my blog will be filled with adventures but for now, i’m just living and learning Ghana, one day at a time. More to come soon! 

Spotted: Kofi Annan in Accra!